We all know the importance of proper and consistent dental hygiene, including regular brushing and flossing. There are a few reasons that our regular routines can become a bit challenging, though, and at Chesterfield Family Dental in Springfield, MO we want to be certain that our orthodontics patients know how to properly floss with braces. As your preferred dentist in Springfield, we really emphasize patient education, and so we are going to take a few minutes to walk you through the best methods for flossing while wearing traditional braces.
Naturally, it is important to start any discussion about how to floss with braces by emphasizing the importance of flossing, generally. Without braces, you accumulate a great deal of debris and bacteria between the teeth, and even just consuming acidic foods can cause bacteria to grow. Flossing is the one way you can be sure you remove the most material from between the teeth and near the gum. This becomes even more crucial to oral health as you wear braces because they also capture unwanted materials.
To effectively floss with braces begins with choosing the right floss. We usually recommend the use of waxed, ribbon-style flosses as they do not shred and glide very easily between the teeth and wires. If you want to be a complete champion at flossing, you may want to skip traditional floss and instead use more precision-oriented tools. For example, there are unusual looking tooth brushes known as interproximal brushes, and they are far better able to get in between teeth and around the brackets and wires of your braces.
Other tools to use if you want the best results as you floss with braces is a flossing stick, which is a tool already fitted with a strand of floss and that you discard when finished using. Many have toothpicks at the end and can be extremely effective as you seek to remove material from between the teeth and around wires and brackets.
Of course, floss threaders are especially designed for flossing when wearing braces and actually ensure the safest methods for getting the floss between the teeth without any risks to wires or brackets.
To Learn More, Contact Our Springfield Dentist
Are you wearing braces and nervous about flossing? Book a visit to learn the best techniques by giving us a call at our Springfield, MO office at 417-888-0771. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.